Robert b



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. BENSON, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

REEFING SAILS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 23,440, dated April 5, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. BENSON, of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beefing the Sails of Ships from the Deck; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the annexed drawing, making a part of this specificationthat is to say:

My invention consists in a method of tak ing the reefs from the lower part of the sail instead of from the head, as is usually donc in the square-sails.

At A in the accompanying drawing a topsail is represented as seen from the after side, and when fully set it is sheeted home in the usual manner, as shown. This sail has no reef-points, but it has the usual foot-rope (7)) and it has also supplementary foot ropes (c) (d) worked into it, being as many in number and at such distance from the lower edge as it is desired that reefs shall be taken.. In the leech of the sail, at. the ends of these supplemental foot-ropes, are earrings to attach ropes (c) and which are to be used according to the reef desired, and which are in fact auxiliary sheets. On the ordinary sheet of the sail a block is placed having as many sheaves as there are foot-ropes in the sail, and through this block the ropes (c) and (f) are roi/e being thence led to any conyenient part of the mast and down to the deck. To the lower foot rope, reetng-lines are attached, at suitable distances, as shown at (7e) (lc) ,j these lead through rings on the foot rope c) and through blocks on (d) whence they may be gathered in a block placed on the upper yard, as at- (Z) from which they are continued down to the deck, all the lines (is) of the sail being united in one, as shown at (c) for convenience. In addition to passing through a ring or block on each of the supplementary foot-ropes there are eyelets (a) worked into the cloths of the sail between the foot ropes, and the lines (7c) are laced through these so that a portion is on the forward side of the sail as shown in dotted lines.

The operation of taking a single reef may now be performed by first lowering away the yard for a distance equal to that between the'lower foot-rope and that at (c), then without letting go the usual sheet, stretch the part of the sail above (c) tight by the rope (e) in the leech, which thus becomes the actual sheet, or rather a continu ation of the usual sheet, since the block through which (c) is led is upon that sheet. Now haul taut upon the reefing lines at and the slack of the sail being gathered into folds closely against the foot-rope (c) the work is done. desired repeat the process, making (CZ) the foot-rope and (f) the sheet. The block being attached to the ordinary sheet all of the tackle may be carried up and furled in with the sail when desired. To shake out the reefs it will only be necessary to slack up the lines (c) (j) and (c) and to hoist the yard again to its place, all of which may of course be effected from the deck.

I have described my invention in connec tion with a top-sail, but- I do not wish to limit myself to that use only` as it is evident that the same general principles are also applicable to other sails.

I claim- Reeting the sail from the deck by the use of a supplementary footrope or its equivalent, in combination with the auxiliary sheet and with the reeling-lines substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

ROBT. B. BENSON.

Witnesses:

S. H. MAYNARD, THOMAS DUGEY.

If a second reef is 

